Think these are the coils that came stock on the bike?

[Guest]

Wondering if you guys would recognize if these are the originals from this 1980 GS1000G.
Also, given the PO's fondness for using silicone gunk, if he applied that stuff, wonder what problem was he trying to solve.
Thanks, Dan

[Grimly]

They certainly look right. Back in the day, those coils were the object of much suspicion for getting damp and misfiring in winter.
People did all sorts of things, like cover the leads in silicone (right where he did) and bake the coils in the oven at low heat, then varnish them. Some of the tricks worked, most didn't. The best preventative was simply keeping them dry and in good condition, by fitting a fairing. It worked for me.
Thanks to this forum, I now know how to replace the old HT leads, which I and certainly most others didn't know back then.
Otoh, the best remedy for crap old damp-infested 'Zuk coils is take them off, throw them on the fire and replace them with Honda MT08 coils, with replaceable leads. Or, if your pocket is deep enough, splash out on some Accels.

[bwringer]

I can't see much in that teensy photo, but if you're talking about a glob of sealer where the wire exits the coil, that's stock and not something added by some desperate PO.

I've never paid that much attention to where I could say for sure they all came this way, but it is something I've seen on original coils many times.

They do look original; no aftermarket manufacturer would use that particular nauseating shade of pinkish beige.

[Dan]

Thanks guys. I'm going to go with the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach.

[Steve]

I see some silicone on the ends.

I have used silicone to seal some minor cracks on the high-voltage transformer inside a television set. You might have some minor cracks at the ends or the silicone might simply be insulating the smaller wire that is also there.

If you want to ease your mind a bit, fire up the engine in a dark garage with the lights off. Look at the "repaired" areas to see if you see any arcing or sparking. If you don't see anything, turn the lights back on, put the bike back together, then go for a victory ride.

.

[Wingsconsin]

They look suspiciously like the ones I changed out on my GS850GL

I changed them not because they didn't work --- but because they worked poorly when the weather was bad (wet)

Rain or fog or high humidity often caused them to not deliver adequate energy.

Once I changed them over to new ones, with new wires, and new plug caps, and new plugs it will nearly run underwater

I know because I ran through some torrential downpours last year for a few days when out for a good ride (2500 miles - 6 days)

My boot leaked ; but my coils did not !

[Dan]

Thanks, I've installed them we'll see.